Blog

Tony’s Blog

Counting the Costs - Part 2

Societal attitudes

There are still many folks who believe that if you’re working the way you should be, then it is reasonable to expect that you’ll get hurt from time to time. A really good example of this is the condition of a workman’s hands. Lots of people won’t believe that you work as an automotive technician unless your hands are torn up. In fact, you may be made to feel that you are either lying or you’re a complete slacker if you don’t have cracked nails, swollen knuckles, or even missing parts of fingers. These attitudes are an indicator that society hasn’t fully embraced the notion that all injuries are preventable, and that we shouldn’t be making peace with anyone getting hurt on the job.

The company you work for may be proactive on the safety front, and moving towards developing a workplace culture that doesn’t accept injuries as a natural outcome of the work process. However, they certainly can’t hold your hand while you work. In the end, the success of a company safety program still boils down to the buy-in on the part of its employees. It won’t matter how many rules are put in place, what equipment is purchased, or how much training the employees receive. If they don’t want to follow the rules, they won’t.

The question is: why wouldn’t the employees want to follow the rules?

There is no simple answer to this question. In some cases, the worker believes that taking risks in the name of production makes them a better employee. This attitude could have been passed down to them by previous generations, who lived at a time where production was the only real concern. Posturing may also be a factor if the workplace culture is dominated by those wanting to show the world that real men have a high risk tolerance. What is troubling about these mindsets is the assumption that they will be the only ones affected if they get injured in a workplace incident.

In any case, those who engage in unsafe work practices are not seeing the bigger picture. You may have gotten away with dangerous shortcuts in the past, and now you’ve reached the point where they are standard practice. Getting yourself hurt isn’t a matter of if, only when. And when you do get hurt, you won’t be the only one that pays the price.

On a personal level

Just like your employer, you will incur direct and indirect costs if you get injured. However, while it will cost your company a lot of money, they will write a check and be more or less done with it. You, and your family, could potentially pay for the rest of your lives.

Your direct costs due to an injury are easy to quantify. Basically, these are expenses that leave less money in your pocket than what you would have made if you weren’t injured. First off, your income isn’t going to be anywhere near what you are making while you’re at work. You may have yourself fooled into thinking that Workers Compensation is a free lunch, but it’s time to set the record straight on that. The reality is that Workers Compensation typically pays anywhere from 60% to 80% of your base pay (no overtime or bonuses included). This number would be roughly the same if you were receiving long-term disability payments. I encourage you to do this calculation, then think carefully about how your bills will be paid if this is what you’ll have to live on.

Another angle on direct costs that we should discuss is that a workplace injury could leave your employer in a compromised financial position. That being said, this could impact you directly by limiting your employer’s ability to grant pay raises and bonuses. Taken one step further, it could also lead to layoffs if the company’s business is negatively impacted.

Medical expenses of a workplace injury are often fully covered by Workers Compensation. However, if you get hurt away from work, you will be subject to deductibles and copays when you file a health insurance claim (assuming you have health insurance). It is also possible for your claim to be rejected, forcing you to engage in an appeal that may involve legal representation.

Now that we’ve discussed your direct costs if you get hurt in a workplace incident, it’s time to look at some of your indirect costs. These oftentimes are expenses that you can’t put a dollar value on; in other words, priceless! And, just like indirect costs for your employer, these are the ones that will have the biggest impact on you and your family.

Loss of quality time - there are all sorts of activities that you enjoy with friends and family when you are away from work. Many of these are physical in nature, such as sports and outdoor endeavors, and you may not be able to participate in these at the same level (or not at all) if you are disabled due to a workplace injury. Think carefully about this; how much enjoyment do you derive from being able to recreate with those who are closest to you? It is an understatement to say that watching from the sidelines isn’t the same.

Physical pain and suffering - there are many minor injuries that heal up and don’t seem to have a lasting impact in terms of physical pain. However, a serious injury can leave the worker with chronic pain and the potential to develop a dependence on painkillers. If you know someone that is suffering from an addiction to opiates or other controlled substances, you can testify to the misery that they inflict on themselves and those that are closest to them.

Alienation - a workplace injury can leave you with a lot of spare time. Too much time on your hands can lead to your mind wandering to places it shouldn’t go, and one of those places is self-accusation. You are your own worst critic, and your self-esteem tends to take a pounding when you aren’t earning your living the way you feel you should. This directly impacts your relationships with your loved ones and friends, only magnifying the suffering you are experiencing.

Take care of yourself

I would suggest that those who assume inappropriate risk in the workplace haven’t thought very carefully about the ramifications. To quote a famous phrase, “It isn’t about you.” Dangerous shortcuts or negligence that takes place in the name of getting a job done right away could lead to terrible consequences for your family and your coworkers. You can make simple changes in your work practices that will help you, your family, and friends prosper. Here is a short list of items that you might consider:

Discipline yourself to wear the appropriate PPE during the workday. This includes safety glasses, hard-toe boots with metatarsal guards, gloves, and face shields.

Don’t make peace with malfunctioning equipment, especially when safety is involved. For example, are you willing to work underneath an automotive lift if the safety catches are inoperative?

Don’t walk by safety issues such as slippery floors without doing something about them.

Think carefully before lifting heavy objects. Is there a safe way to lift it by hand, or is it time to put a jack or hoist to work?

I encourage you to do the right thing and think beyond yourself when you are making critical safety decisions at work. You won’t regret taking the time to do it right when you enter your retirement years injury-free!